A compact structure automatic laser engraving device and laser engraving method

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of compact structure's automation laser-engraving equipment and laser-engraving method, the laser-engraving equipment includes machine table, and the machine table is formed with feeding station, jacking station, loading turnover station, loading station, positioning station, unloading station, unloading turnover station and back-falling station;It also includes the loading device being arranged at jacking station and loading station, the positioning device being arranged on the positioning station, the laser-engraving device being arranged on the machine table, the transfer device being arranged on the machine table, the unloading device being arranged at back-falling station and unloading station, and the material conveying device being arranged on the machine table, and the feeding station, jacking station and back-falling station are arranged on the material conveying device.The automation laser-engraving equipment provided in the application is reasonably arranged between each station, accelerates the circulation of material by lifting, overturning and omnidirectional transfer device, shortens material circulation time and distance, and thus improves the efficiency of material laser-engraving.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of laser equipment technology, and in particular to a compact automated laser engraving device and laser engraving method. Background Technology

[0002] Laser processing, also known as laser finishing, is a processing method that uses a high-energy-density light beam to irradiate the surface of a material, causing the material to vaporize or change color. As an advanced manufacturing technology, laser processing is widely used in many fields such as automotive, metallurgy, aerospace, machinery, textile, chemical, construction, shipbuilding, instrumentation, microelectronics, art making, and the manufacturing of daily necessities and industrial products. It is used for drilling, cutting, milling, welding, etching, strengthening and repairing large parts, surface modification and material synthesis of materials, rapid manufacturing of molds, models and parts, making and cleaning arts and crafts, product marking and anti-counterfeiting, etc.

[0003] Laser processing is increasingly being applied in the manufacturing of precision instruments such as laptops and mobile phones. Precision instruments require high positional accuracy from the laser, and some products need specific markings. Therefore, the laser processing process requires high-precision operations such as determining the processing surface, processing angle, and specific positioning. This places high demands on the laser equipment's positioning and adjustability during processing. However, existing laser processing equipment is mostly semi-automatic, with significant room for improvement in automation levels. Furthermore, the semi-automatic mode involves high human intervention, leading to larger human error during processing, which is unsuitable for the high positioning accuracy requirements of precision instruments. In addition, existing laser engraving equipment occupies a large space, and the flow of materials between different workstations consumes considerable time. Inefficient workstation design results in longer production cycles. Therefore, existing semi-automatic laser processing equipment still has many shortcomings and deficiencies in actual production, necessitating improvements to the existing technology and the design of a more automated laser processing device for precision instruments. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This section summarizes some aspects of the existing disclosure and briefly introduces some preferred embodiments. The simplifications or omissions in this section, as well as the descriptions in the abstract or headings, may be intended to avoid any purpose of concealing this section, abstract, or headings. These simplifications or omissions are not intended to limit the scope of the existing disclosure.

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a compact, automated laser engraving equipment, comprising a machine base integrating a feeding device, a transfer device, a positioning device, a laser engraving device, and a unloading device. Through the coordinated operation of these functional devices, the laser engraving equipment can continuously and automatically complete the feeding, transfer, laser engraving, and unloading of materials. The machine base has multiple corresponding workstations with reasonable connections between them, conforming to the material flow pattern and saving material flow time. The detailed technical solution of this invention is as follows:

[0006] A compact automated laser engraving device, comprising:

[0007] The machine platform includes a feeding station, a lifting station, a loading and tilting station, a loading station, a positioning station, a unloading station, an unloading and tilting station, and a falling station. The feeding station, lifting station, and falling station are arranged sequentially on a first axis parallel to a first horizontal axis. The loading and tilting station, loading station, unloading station, and unloading and tilting station are arranged on a second axis parallel to the first horizontal axis. The loading and tilting station is located directly above the lifting station and adjacent to the loading station. The unloading and tilting station is located directly above the falling station and adjacent to the unloading station. The loading station and the positioning station are arranged sequentially on a third axis parallel to the second horizontal axis, where the first horizontal axis and the second horizontal axis are perpendicular to each other.

[0008] A feeding device is installed at the lifting station and the feeding station, the feeding device being configured to feed material from the feeding station to the feeding station;

[0009] The positioning device installed at the positioning station is configured to position the material.

[0010] The laser engraving device installed on the machine base is configured to laser engrave materials, and the laser engraving device has a laser engraving station.

[0011] The transfer device installed on the machine is configured to pick up materials from the loading station, place the picked-up materials at the positioning station, transfer the positioned materials to the laser engraving device for laser engraving, and then transfer the laser-engraved materials to the unloading station.

[0012] A feeding device is installed at the return station and the unloading station, the feeding device being configured to unload the laser-engraved material from the unloading station to the return station; and

[0013] The material conveying device is installed on the machine platform, and the feeding station, lifting station and falling station are arranged on the material conveying device.

[0014] Furthermore, in the above technical solution, the material conveying device includes a conveyor belt and a drive motor for driving the conveyor belt to move. The conveyor belt is configured to convey materials. The feeding device picks up materials from the conveyor belt. The unloading device conveys the materials transferred to it to the subsequent workstation via the conveyor belt. The subsequent workstation includes a dust removal workstation, and a dust removal device is installed on the dust removal workstation.

[0015] Furthermore, the material conveying device also includes a material receiving tray, which is placed on the feeding station of the conveyor belt. The material receiving tray is configured to receive materials. The material receiving tray containing materials moves along the conveyor belt. Driven by the conveyor belt, the material receiving tray moves from the feeding station to the lifting station.

[0016] Furthermore, the feeding station, lifting station, and falling station are arranged sequentially on the conveyor belt along the material conveying direction of the material conveying device.

[0017] Furthermore, the feeding device includes two lifting mechanisms arranged opposite each other, and a tilting mechanism arranged adjacent to the lifting mechanisms.

[0018] Furthermore, the two lifting mechanisms are arranged opposite to each other on both sides of the conveyor belt. Each lifting mechanism includes a lifting block and a lifting drive assembly. The lifting drive assembly drives the lifting block to move up and down reciprocally. The lifting block is close to the side edge of the conveyor belt. The two lifting blocks arranged opposite to each other form the lifting station of the material receiving tray.

[0019] At a certain moment, the height of the lifting block is basically level with or lower than the upper surface of the conveyor belt. After the material receiving tray carrying the material is conveyed to the lifting station, the lifting drive assembly drives the lifting block to move upward, so that the material receiving tray is lifted off the conveyor belt and the material to be laser-engraved is placed in the material receiving tray with the laser-engraved surface facing upward.

[0020] Furthermore, the flipping mechanism includes a fixed frame and a flipping assembly connected to the fixed frame. The flipping assembly is provided with one or more suction cups. The flipping assembly is configured to rotate along the fixed frame, so that the suction cups on it pick up the material on the material receiving tray from the lifting station. After the material is picked up, the flipping assembly rotates to reset, so that the material to be laser-engraved is placed on the suction cup with the surface to be laser-engraved facing down.

[0021] Furthermore, the flipping assembly includes a flipping shaft connected to the fixed frame and a flipping arm connected to the flipping shaft, wherein the flipping arm is provided with the suction cup; at a certain time, the flipping arm is horizontally positioned on one side of the flipping shaft, the material receiving tray is positioned on the other side of the flipping tray, and the suction cup on the flipping arm is away from the conveyor belt to form a loading station; when the material receiving tray is lifted from the lifting station to the loading flipping station, the flipping arm rotates along the central axis of the flipping shaft, driving the suction cup to rotate towards the conveyor belt, so that the suction cup adsorbs and picks up the material from the loading flipping station; after the material is picked up, the flipping arm rotates and resets to the loading station along the central axis of the flipping shaft, and the unloaded material receiving tray is lowered and reset to the lifting station with the lifting block, and the laser-engraved surface of the material at the loading station faces the conveyor belt.

[0022] Furthermore, the central axis of the flipping shaft is perpendicular to the central axis of the conveyor belt.

[0023] Furthermore, the transfer device includes a base, a first connecting arm, a second connecting arm, a third connecting arm, and an adsorption assembly. The base is fixedly connected to the machine tool. One end of the first connecting arm is movably connected to the base, and the other end is movably connected to the second connecting arm. One end of the third connecting arm is movably connected to the second connecting arm, and the other end is movably connected to the adsorption assembly.

[0024] Furthermore, the first connecting arm can rotate horizontally relative to the base, the second connecting arm rotates vertically relative to the first connecting arm, the third connecting arm rotates vertically relative to the second connecting arm, the adsorption component rotates vertically relative to the third connecting arm, and the adsorption component can rotate along its connection point with the third connecting arm.

[0025] Furthermore, the adsorption assembly includes a claw plate and one or more suction cups disposed on the claw plate. The transfer device adsorbs material from the feeding device through the suction cups and places the adsorbed material on the positioning device.

[0026] Furthermore, the base is disposed on the machine platform and is disposed opposite to the material conveying device. The adsorption component picks up the material from the loading station and places it on the positioning station for positioning. After positioning, the adsorption component picks up the material from the positioning station and places it on the laser engraving station of the laser engraving device for laser engraving. The laser-engraved material is then placed on the unloading station.

[0027] Furthermore, the positioning device includes a positioning fixture, which includes a positioning panel, a positioning component mounted on the edge of the positioning panel, and a positioning suction element; the positioning panel is mounted on the machine base by a bracket, the positioning panel has a through hole in the center, and the positioning suction element is installed in the through hole by a connecting plate.

[0028] Furthermore, the positioning panel is a rectangular panel with two long sides and two short sides arranged opposite each other. A groove is provided on one long side and one short side, which is recessed inward from the edge of the rectangular panel. A positioning block is embedded in the groove. A locking member is provided on the outer edge of the other short side. Several support protrusions are provided on the positioning panel near the other long side.

[0029] Furthermore, the transfer device places the adsorbed material on the positioning panel, and the positioning block, the locking component, and the supporting protrusion together position the material. The positioning adsorption component adsorbs and fixes the material, with the laser-engraved surface of the material facing the positioning adsorption component. When the transfer device picks up the positioned material from the positioning fixture, the positioning adsorption component releases the adsorbed material.

[0030] Furthermore, the laser engraving device has a laser light source, and the laser beam emitted by the laser light source shines directly on the laser engraving station. The transfer device transfers the positioned material to the laser engraving station, with the surface of the material to be laser engraved facing the laser light source. After the laser engraving device completes the laser engraving of the material, the transfer device transfers the laser-engraved material to the unloading device, and the transfer device places the laser-engraved surface of the material face down on the unloading station of the unloading device.

[0031] Furthermore, the unloading device and the loading device are arranged adjacent to each other, and the unloading device and the loading device have the same structure. The suction cup on the flipping mechanism of the unloading device forms the unloading station. The transfer device transfers the laser-engraved material to the unloading station. The flipping mechanism of the unloading device rotates toward the material collection tray on the lifting mechanism of the unloading device. The material collection tray is located at the unloading flipping station. The laser-engraved material is released by the suction cup on the unloading device and placed in the material collection tray. The laser-engraved surface of the material is placed in the material collection tray with its surface facing upwards. The material collection tray carrying the laser-engraved material is lowered to the return station by the lifting mechanism of the unloading device. The return station is located on the conveyor belt. The conveyor belt transports the material collection tray carrying the laser-engraved material to the subsequent dust removal station.

[0032] Based on the above-described compact automated laser engraving equipment, the present invention also provides a laser engraving method adapted to the automated laser engraving equipment, comprising:

[0033] Several material storage trays carrying materials are placed sequentially on the conveyor belt of the material conveying device. The material to be laser-engraved is placed in the material storage tray with the laser-engraved surface facing up. The material storage tray moves from the feeding station on the conveyor belt to the lifting station of the loading device.

[0034] The feeding device lifts the material receiving tray on the lifting station to the feeding flipping station through the lifting mechanism, and the material is adsorbed from the feeding flipping station by the suction cup of the flipping mechanism. After the material is adsorbed, the flipping mechanism flips back to the feeding station, so that the material to be laser engraved is placed on the feeding station with the laser engraving side facing down.

[0035] The transfer device picks up the material from the loading station and places the material at the positioning station. After positioning, the transfer device picks up the material from the positioning station and transfers the material to the laser engraving station of the laser engraving device, so that the surface of the material to be laser engraved faces the laser light source of the laser engraving device, and the laser engraving device completes the laser engraving of the material.

[0036] The transfer device transfers the laser-engraved material to the unloading station of the flipping mechanism of the unloading device. The laser-engraved surface of the material is placed face down on the unloading station. The flipping mechanism of the unloading device drives the material to flip towards the lifting mechanism of the unloading device, so that the suction cup of the flipping mechanism releases the material into the material collection tray on the unloading flipping station of the lifting mechanism. The laser-engraved surface of the material is placed face up in the material collection tray. The lifting mechanism descends and resets, so that the material collection tray carrying the laser-engraved material is placed on the return station. The return station is located on the conveyor belt. The material collection tray carrying the laser-engraved material is transported by the conveyor belt to the subsequent dust removal station.

[0037] Compared with existing technologies, the compact automated laser engraving equipment provided by this invention integrates multiple functional devices for feeding, transferring, positioning, laser engraving, and unloading. These devices coordinate with each other, achieving a high degree of automation. No human intervention is required during the laser engraving process. The laser engraving position is adjusted by machine standards, resulting in a batch of products with uniform production standards. This integrated approach reduces positioning inaccuracies caused by human intervention and the lack of unified positioning standards. The fully automated production mode improves production efficiency. Furthermore, the automated laser engraving equipment provided by this invention has a reasonable arrangement of workstations. Through lifting, flipping, and omnidirectional transfer devices, it accelerates the flow of materials, shortens material flow time and distance, and thus improves the efficiency of laser engraving. Attached Figure Description

[0038] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0039] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the change in the positional state of a material within the laser engraving device provided by the present invention when performing laser engraving on a specified single side of the material using the laser engraving device provided by the present invention in one embodiment.

[0040] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the laser engraving device provided by the present invention from one perspective in one embodiment;

[0041] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the loading device of the laser engraving equipment provided by the present invention from one perspective in one embodiment;

[0042] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the transfer device of the laser engraving equipment provided by the present invention from one perspective in one embodiment;

[0043] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning device of the laser engraving equipment provided by the present invention from one perspective in one embodiment;

[0044] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of the laser engraving equipment provided by the present invention in one embodiment, showing a loading device and a unloading device installed on a material conveying device.

[0045] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the positioning panel of the laser engraving device provided by the present invention in one embodiment;

[0046] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram showing the state of the material receiving tray on the lifting station of the feeding device of the present invention when the flipping mechanism adsorbs material in one embodiment.

[0047] Figure 9 for Figure 8 The diagram shows the state of the flipping mechanism after it has completed material adsorption and flipped the material back to its original position.

[0048] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram showing the state of the unloading device when the transfer device of the present invention places the laser-engraved material onto the suction cup of the flipping mechanism of the unloading device in one embodiment.

[0049] Figure 11 for Figure 10The diagram shows the state of the material receiving device's flipping mechanism, which uses a suction cup to pick up the material and causes it to flip and release it into the material receiving tray on the lifting station of the material receiving device.

[0050] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the overall layout structure of a fully automated laser engraving production line containing 7 laser engraving devices in one embodiment.

[0051] Of which: 10 - machine station;

[0052] 20-Material conveying device; 21-Conveyor belt; 22-Drive motor; 23-Material receiving tray;

[0053] 30 - Feeding device; 31 - Lifting mechanism; 311 - Lifting block; 312 - Lifting drive assembly; 32 - Tilting mechanism; 321 - Fixing frame; 322 - Tilting assembly; 323 - Tilting shaft; 324 - Tilting arm; 325 - Suction cup;

[0054] 40 - Transfer device; 41 - Base; 42 - First connecting arm; 43 - Second connecting arm; 44 - Third connecting arm; 45 - Adsorption assembly; 451 - Claw plate;

[0055] 50 - Positioning device; 51 - Positioning clamp; 511 - Positioning panel; 5111 - Through hole; 512 - Positioning assembly; 5121 - Positioning block; 5122 - Locking component; 5123 - Support protrusion; 513 - Positioning suction component; 5131 - Connecting plate;

[0056] 60 - Laser engraving device; 61 - Laser light source;

[0057] 70 - Feeding device; 71 - Lifting mechanism; 711 - Lifting block; 712 - Lifting drive assembly; 72 - Tilting mechanism; 721 - Fixing frame; 722 - Tilting assembly; 723 - Tilting shaft; 724 - Tilting arm; 725 - Suction cup;

[0058] 80 - Phone back cover; A - Back of phone back cover; B - Front of phone back cover; -The back of the phone case after laser engraving;

[0059] 90 - Dust removal device;

[0060] Feeding station a, lifting station b, loading and flipping station c, loading station d, positioning station e, laser engraving station f, unloading station g, unloading and flipping station h, falling station i, dust removal station j. Detailed Implementation

[0061] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0062] The detailed description of this invention is presented primarily through procedures, steps, logic blocks, processes, or other symbolic descriptions that directly or indirectly simulate the operation of the technical solutions within this invention. Those skilled in the art will use these descriptions and statements herein to effectively explain the nature of their work to others skilled in the art.

[0063] The term "an embodiment" or "embodiment" as used herein refers to a feature, structure, or characteristic associated with that embodiment that is included in at least one implementation of the invention. The phrase "in one embodiment" appearing in different places throughout this document does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, nor is it necessarily a single or alternative embodiment that is mutually exclusive with other embodiments. Furthermore, the order of modules in methods, flowcharts, or functional block diagrams representing one or more embodiments is not fixed and does not refer to any particular order, nor does it constitute a limitation of the invention.

[0064] like Figure 1 The diagram illustrates the positional changes of a material within the laser engraving device when performing laser engraving on a specified single side. The diagram schematically shows a flat, rectangular material, which can be understood as having a front and a back. The side marked A is defined as the back side, which is also the surface to be laser engraved, while the side marked B is the front side, which does not need to be laser engraved. Therefore, the material shown in the diagram needs to be set up by the laser engraving device for automatic flipping and positioning to achieve the specified single-sided laser engraving. Figure 1 The middle mark is The surface shown is side A after laser engraving. In one embodiment, the material can be the back cover of a commercially available Apple mobile phone, and the reverse side of the back cover needs to be laser engraved with a pattern.

[0065] Using the laser engraving equipment provided by this invention to... Figure 1 The standard procedure for laser engraving the materials shown is as follows:

[0066] Step 1: Feeding. The material receiving tray 23 carrying the material is placed sequentially on the conveyor belt 21 of the material conveying device 20. At this time, the material to be laser-engraved is placed in the material receiving tray 23 with the laser-engraved surface facing up. The material receiving tray 23 can be a insulating material such as foam to protect the outer surface of the material and prevent surface wear during the conveying process. The operation of placing the material receiving tray 23 carrying the material on the conveyor belt 21 can be done manually or by using a feeding device such as a robotic arm.

[0067] Step 2: Loading. The loading device 30 lifts and picks up the material from the conveyor belt 21 through the lifting mechanism 31, and the suction cup 325 of the flipping mechanism 32 adsorbs the material from the lifting mechanism 31. After the material is adsorbed, the flipping mechanism 32 flips and resets, so that the material to be laser engraved is placed on the suction cup 325 with the surface to be laser engraved facing down.

[0068] Step 3: Material positioning and transfer to the laser engraving station for laser engraving. This step specifically includes: picking up the material from the suction cup 325 of the flipping mechanism 32 using the transfer device 40, and placing the material on the positioning device 50 for positioning. After positioning, the transfer device 40 picks up the material from the positioning device 50 and transfers the material to the laser engraving station of the laser engraving device 60, so that the surface of the material to be laser engraved faces the laser light source 61 of the laser engraving device 60. The laser engraving device 60 then completes the laser engraving of the material.

[0069] Step 4: The laser-engraved material is unloaded onto conveyor belt 21 and transported to the next processing station. Specifically, the laser-engraved material is transferred by transfer device 40 to the suction cup 725 of the flipping mechanism 72 of unloading device 70. The laser-engraved surface of the material is placed face down on the suction cup 725. The flipping mechanism 72 of unloading device 70 flips the material toward the lifting mechanism 71 of unloading device 70, causing the suction cup 725 to release the material into the material collection tray 23 at the lifting station of lifting mechanism 71. The laser-engraved surface of the material is placed face up in the material collection tray 23. The lifting mechanism 71 descends and resets, placing the material collection tray 23 carrying the laser-engraved material onto conveyor belt 21. The material collection tray 23 carrying the laser-engraved material is then transported by conveyor belt 21 to the next dust removal station. This completes the laser engraving process for one material.

[0070] To improve the efficiency of material laser engraving, from the perspective of a single machine, automated devices can be developed for each of the four steps mentioned above, thereby automating that step. Furthermore, suitable sub-devices or mechanisms need to be developed for the sub-steps within each step to achieve automation of those sub-steps. For example, for the feeding device 30, since this step includes two sub-steps such as material lifting and material adsorption and flipping, it may be necessary to develop two sub-devices or mechanisms for these two sub-steps. Of course, to achieve full automation of the material laser engraving process, these automated devices for each step can also be integrated together. This invention is based on the above-mentioned inventive concept, and the following will use multiple embodiments to exemplarily describe the automated devices for each operation step and the complete automatic material laser engraving equipment of this invention.

[0071] Material conveying device

[0072] In this embodiment, the present invention provides a material conveying device 20, which may include a conveyor belt 21 and a drive motor 22 for moving the conveyor belt 21. The conveyor belt 21 is configured to convey materials. A loading device 30 picks up materials from the conveyor belt 21, and a unloading device 70 conveys the materials transferred to it via the conveyor belt 21 to a subsequent workstation. Therefore, the material conveying device 20 is mainly used in conjunction with the loading device 30 and the unloading device 70 to realize the loading of materials to be laser-engraved and the recycling and transfer of laser-engraved materials. It is an important functional device for the automation of laser engraving equipment.

[0073] Of course, see also Figure 6 , Figure 6 The diagram illustrates a structure of the material conveying device 20 in one embodiment. The material conveying device 20 mainly transmits the main body of the main line through the conveyor belt 21. This is a relatively common technical implementation method in conveying devices at present. Under the premise of ensuring functionality, the conveyor belt 21 has low cost, strong versatility, and well-developed maintenance and replacement methods. In actual production, the application of the conveyor belt 21 is an efficient production method that saves costs and reduces the difficulty of fault repair.

[0074] See also Figure 6 The material conveying device 20 shown in the figure is also equipped with a material receiving tray 23, which is placed on the conveyor belt 21. The material receiving tray 23 is configured to receive materials. The material receiving tray 23 containing materials moves along the conveyor belt 21. The use of the receiving tray avoids wear on the surface of the materials. The use of a mechanized structure to achieve automatic feeding during the feeding process can also avoid wear on the materials by hard objects such as mechanical structures.

[0075] Feeding device

[0076] In this embodiment, the present invention provides a material feeding device 30. It can feed materials to the feeding station for the transfer device 40 to pick up and laser engrave.

[0077] The feeding device 30 can convey and flip the material to be laser-engraved. In this process, two steps are actually performed within the feeding device 30: the first step is the feeding step, and the following step is the flipping step. Obviously, the feeding device 30 can also be divided into a feeding device 30 and a flipping device according to the steps. This divided feeding device 30 can also be used as a feeding device 30 for other material handling devices; this embodiment does not impose any particular limitation.

[0078] like Figure 3 , 6As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the feeding device 30 in this embodiment of the invention has a lifting station and a feeding station. The feeding device 30 may include two opposing lifting mechanisms 31, and a tilting mechanism 32 adjacent to the lifting mechanisms 31.

[0079] In one embodiment, see Figure 6 Two lifting mechanisms 31 are arranged opposite each other on both sides of the conveyor belt 21 in the width direction. Each lifting mechanism 31 includes a lifting block 311 and a lifting drive assembly 312. The lifting drive assembly 312 drives the lifting block 311 to move up and down reciprocally. The lifting block 311 is close to the side edge of the conveyor belt 21. The two oppositely arranged lifting blocks 311 form the lifting position of the material receiving tray 23. The lifting drive assembly 312 can be a drive cylinder with a drive rod connected to the lifting block 311. The drive cylinder can lift or lower the lifting block 311 according to the control of the equipment control device.

[0080] At a certain moment, the height of the lifting block 311 is basically flush with or lower than the upper surface of the conveyor belt 21. This ensures that the material receiving tray 23 can move freely on the conveyor belt 21 without being blocked by the lifting block 311. Of course, the distance between the two opposing lifting blocks 311 is less than the distance of the material receiving tray 23 in the width direction of the conveyor belt 21. When the material receiving tray 23 carrying the material is conveyed to the lifting station, the lifting drive assembly 312 drives the lifting block 311 to move upward, so that the material receiving tray 23 is lifted off the conveyor belt 21, and the material to be laser-engraved is placed in the material receiving tray 23 with the laser-engraved surface facing upward.

[0081] In one embodiment, the flipping mechanism 32 may include a fixed frame 321 and a flipping component 322 connected to the fixed frame 321. The flipping component 322 is provided with one or more suction cups 325. The flipping component 322 is configured to rotate along the fixed frame 321, so that the suction cups 325 thereon pick up the material on the material receiving tray 23 from the lifting station. After the material is picked up, the flipping component 322 rotates back to its original position, so that the surface of the material to be laser-engraved is placed on the suction cup 325 with the laser-engraved surface facing down. The flipping of the flipping mechanism 32 can make the surface to be laser-engraved face down. Then, when the transfer device 40 transfers the material to the positioning device 50 during the transfer process, the surface to be laser-engraved faces the positioning panel 511 for precise positioning.

[0082] In one embodiment, the fixing frame 321 of the flipping mechanism 32 described above may include two opposing supports, which are respectively arranged on both sides of the conveyor belt 21 in the width direction, and the flipping component 322 described above is mounted on the two supports.

[0083] In one embodiment, the aforementioned flipping assembly 322 includes a flipping shaft 323 connected to the fixed frame 321, and a flipping arm 324 connected to the flipping shaft 323. The flipping arm 324 is provided with suction cups 325. Both ends of the flipping shaft 323 are movably connected to the two aforementioned supports. The flipping arm 324 and the flipping shaft 323 can be integrally formed or separately connected and fixed to each other. The flipping arm 324 may include one or more cantilever frames extending from the side surface of the flipping shaft 323, and each cantilever frame is provided with one or more soft suction cups 325. At a certain time, the flipping arm 324 is horizontally positioned on one side of the flipping shaft 323, and the material receiving tray 23 is positioned on the other side of the flipping disk. The suction cups 325 on the flipping arm 324 are positioned away from the conveyor belt 21, forming a loading station.

[0084] After the material receiving tray 23 is lifted into position from its initial position, the flipping arm 324 rotates along the central axis of the flipping shaft 323, causing the suction cup 325 to rotate toward the conveyor belt 21, so that the suction cup 325 can pick up the material. Figure 8 After the material is picked up, the tilting arm 324 rotates and resets along the central axis of the tilting shaft 323, and the empty material receiving tray 23 descends and resets with the lifting block 311. The surface of the material to be laser-engraved faces the conveyor belt 21. Figure 9 .

[0085] See Figure 6 The central axis of the flipping shaft 323 is perpendicular to the central axis of the conveyor belt 21, and the flipping shaft 323 is mounted on the conveyor belt 21.

[0086] In one embodiment, the fixing frame 321 of the flipping mechanism 32 can be an L-shaped bracket, with one end of the bracket installed on the side of the conveyor belt 21 and the other end suspended above the conveyor belt 21. The flipping component 322 can be connected to the bracket through a connector, so that the suspended arm of the bracket serves as the rotation axis of the flipping arm 324. The flipping arm 324 is movably connected to the suspended arm of the bracket, thereby realizing the adsorption and flipping of the material.

[0087] It should be noted that the lifting mechanism 31 can only descend and reset after the material it carries has been picked up by the flipping mechanism 32, that is, when there is no material on the lifting station. This design can form a closed-loop feedback. When the material is conveyed to the flipping mechanism 32, it proves that the material on the lifting mechanism 31 has indeed been conveyed away. This can prevent the material from being conveyed in place or "rushing" and causing the material on the lifting mechanism 31 to fall back with the lifting mechanism before it has been picked up, which would cause the material feeding to be disordered, thereby reducing the possibility of errors in production.

[0088] The feeding device 30 provided in this embodiment of the invention can be used as a component, integrated with the material conveying device 20, the transfer device 40, and the unloading device 70 to form a complete set of automatic material flow equipment. It can be used in conjunction with the laser engraving device 60 or in conjunction with other functional devices. This embodiment does not impose any special limitations.

[0089] Of course, the lifting mechanism 31 and the flipping mechanism 32 in the feeding device 30 can also be used in different application scenarios according to their functions. The lifting mechanism 31 can be used as the feeding device 30 of other types of material handling devices. For example, the structure of the unloading device 70 in this invention is the same as that of the feeding device 30. Both are functionally connected with the transfer device 40. The functional process of the unloading device 70 is the reverse of the working process of the feeding device 30. That is, the feeding device 30 first lifts and raises the material and then flips it to feed, while the unloading device 70 first flips it to feed and then lifts and lowers it to feed.

[0090] Those skilled in the art should know that when the flipping mechanism 32 is used as an independent flipping device, it may be necessary to set up a feeding mechanism on its feeding side to feed the material to the feeding point of the flipping mechanism 32.

[0091] When the feeding device 30 is used as a component of a complete set of automatic material packaging equipment, the specific process of the feeding device 30 after feeding the material to be laser engraved can be referred to the relevant content in the following embodiments.

[0092] Transfer device

[0093] In this embodiment, the present invention provides a transfer device 40. Combined with... Figure 1 and Figure 4 The transfer device 40 can pick up materials from the loading station, place the materials in the positioning device 50 for positioning, and then transfer the materials to the laser engraving station for laser engraving.

[0094] See Figure 4 The transfer device 40 provided in this embodiment may include a base 41, a first connecting arm 42, a second connecting arm 43, a third connecting arm 44, and an adsorption component 45. The base 41 is fixedly connected to the machine base 10. One end of the first connecting arm 42 is movably connected to the base 41, and the other end is movably connected to the second connecting arm 43. One end of the third connecting arm 44 is movably connected to the second connecting arm 43, and the other end is movably connected to the adsorption component 45.

[0095] In one embodiment, see further. Figure 4The first connecting arm 42 can rotate horizontally relative to the base 41. In one case, the first connecting arm 42 is in contact with the surface of the base 41, and the first connecting arm 42 can rotate along the central axis of the base 41, making it flexible to transport.

[0096] The second connecting arm 43 rotates relative to the first connecting arm 42 in the vertical direction. In one case, see [reference needed]. Figure 4 One end of the first connecting arm 42 forms a connecting seat for the second connecting arm 43. The connecting seat is a groove, and one end of the second connecting seat is movably inserted into the groove. The second connecting arm 43 can rotate back and forth along the central axis of the groove.

[0097] The third connecting arm 44 rotates relative to the second connecting arm 43 in the vertical direction. In one case, see also Figure 4 One end of the second connecting arm 43 forms a connecting seat for the third connecting arm 44. The connecting seat is a groove, and one end of the third connecting seat is movably inserted into the groove. The third connecting arm 44 can rotate back and forth along the central axis of the groove.

[0098] The adsorption component 45 rotates vertically relative to the third connecting arm 44, and the adsorption component 45 can rotate along its connection point with the third connecting arm 44. That is, the adsorption component 45 and the third connecting arm 44 have two degrees of freedom. (See [link]) Figure 4 One end of the adsorption component 45 is provided with a rotating part, which can be a universal joint. The adsorption component 45 itself has a rotation function. On this basis, the rotating part of the adsorption component 45, which can rotate on its own, is inserted into the groove at the end of the third connecting arm 44. The adsorption component 45 can rotate back and forth along the central axis of the groove. Therefore, the overall structure of the transfer device 40 has a very high degree of freedom and can realize the transfer of materials in all directions.

[0099] In one embodiment, see Figure 4 The adsorption assembly 45 may include a claw disk 451 and one or more suction cups disposed on the claw disk 451. The transfer device 40 adsorbs material from the feeding device 30 using the suction cups and places the adsorbed material on the positioning device 50. Figure 4 The claw disk 451 shown is a rectangular claw disk 451, and one or more suction cups (not shown) may be provided on the lower surface of the claw disk 451.

[0100] Of course, the adsorption component 45 of the transfer device 40 provided in this embodiment can also be directly grasped by a robotic arm. However, in actual applications, the robotic arm is prone to scratching the surface of the material, and uneven force on the material during the grasping process will cause the material after positioning to shift under the grasping force, reducing the positioning accuracy or making the positioning invalid.

[0101] It should be noted that the transfer device 40 provided in the embodiments of the present invention can be used as a standalone device or as a component, integrated with the feeding device 30 and other components to form a complete set of automated equipment.

[0102] Those skilled in the art should know that when the transfer device 40 is used as an independent device, it may be necessary to set up a feeding mechanism on its feeding side to feed materials to the feeding point of the transfer device 40, and it may also be necessary to set up a discharging mechanism on its unloading side to receive the transferred materials.

[0103] In a complete set of automated equipment, certain workstations within two different functional devices can overlap or partially overlap, and certain structural components can be reused. For example, the loading workstation of the transfer device 40 is actually the loading workstation formed on the suction cup 325 in the loading device 30, and the unloading workstation of the transfer device 40 is actually the unloading workstation formed on the suction cup 325 in the unloading device 70. This is a state of workstation overlap formed after multiple functional devices are used in combination, which is a simplified borrowing of workstations. That is, some workstations mentioned in this embodiment actually overlap in the equipment structure.

[0104] Positioning device

[0105] In this embodiment, the present invention provides a positioning device 50. Combined with... Figure 5 and Figure 7 The positioning device 50 can accurately position the materials placed on it, ensuring the positioning accuracy of the transfer device 40 when picking up materials.

[0106] In one embodiment, the positioning device 50 is mounted on the machine base 10 and may include a positioning fixture 51. The positioning fixture 51 includes a positioning panel 511, a positioning component 512 mounted on the edge of the positioning panel 511, and a positioning suction member 513. The positioning panel 511 is mounted on the machine base 10 by a bracket. The positioning panel 511 has a through hole 5111 in the center. The positioning suction member 513 is installed in the through hole 5111 by a connecting plate 5131.

[0107] See Figure 7 The positioning panel 511 can be a rectangular panel with two long sides and two short sides arranged opposite each other. A groove is provided on one long side and one short side, which is recessed inward from the edge of the rectangular panel. A positioning block 5121 is embedded in the groove. A locking member 5122 is provided on the outer edge of the other short side. Several support protrusions 5123 are provided on the positioning panel 511 near the other long side.

[0108] When the transfer device 40 places the adsorbed material on the positioning panel 511, the positioning block, the locking member 5122 and the supporting protrusion 5123 together position the material, and the positioning adsorption member 513 adsorbs and fixes the material, with the laser-engraved surface of the material facing the positioning adsorption member 513; when the transfer device 40 picks up the positioned material from the positioning fixture 51, the positioning adsorption member 513 releases the adsorbed material.

[0109] In order to improve the positioning accuracy of materials and meet the requirements of high-precision instruments for laser engraving accuracy, the present invention uses a positioning device 50 to perform secondary positioning of materials, and uses the adsorption component 45 of the transfer device 40 to adsorb and grasp the materials, thereby achieving a high degree of maintaining the positioning accuracy of the materials.

[0110] Laser engraving device

[0111] This embodiment provides a laser engraving device 60, which can perform laser engraving on the surface of materials.

[0112] In one embodiment, the laser engraving device 60 has a laser light source 61, the laser light source 61 emits a beam that shines directly on the laser engraving station, the transfer device 40 transfers the positioned material to the laser engraving station, and the surface of the material to be laser engraved faces the laser light source 61. After the laser engraving device 60 completes the laser engraving of the material, the transfer device 40 transfers the laser engraved material to the unloading device 70, and the transfer device 40 places the laser-engraved surface of the material face down on the unloading device 70.

[0113] Feeding device

[0114] See the embodiment described above for the feeding device 30. See also... Figure 6 In this embodiment, the unloading device 70 is arranged adjacent to the loading device 30. The unloading device 70 and the loading device 30 have the same structure. The suction cup 725 on the flipping mechanism 72 of the unloading device 70 forms an unloading station. The transfer device 40 transfers the laser-engraved material to the unloading station. (See also...) Figure 10 The flipping mechanism 72 of the unloading device 70 rotates toward the material receiving tray 23 on the lifting station of the unloading device 70. The laser-engraved material is released by the suction cup 725 on the unloading device 70 and placed in the material receiving tray 23. See [link / reference] Figure 11 The material with the laser-engraved surface facing up is placed in the material receiving tray 23 of the unloading device 70. The material receiving tray 23 carrying the laser-engraved material is lowered onto the conveyor belt 21 by the lifting mechanism 71 of the unloading device 70. The conveyor belt transports the material receiving tray 23 carrying the laser-engraved material to the subsequent dust removal station.

[0115] It should be noted that, in one embodiment, the feeding device 30, transfer device 40, positioning device 50, laser engraving device 60, and unloading device 70 are not necessarily completely independent in structure; each device may reuse one or more structural components. Correspondingly, the processing stations within each device are not necessarily completely offset in spatial position; some stations may partially overlap or even completely overlap. This reuse of structures and overlap of stations can shorten the material flow distance and time, save equipment space, and simplify the equipment structure.

[0116] In some embodiments, each device is equipped with independent internal transfer components as needed. These internal transfer components move only within their respective devices to transfer paper materials between different processing stations within the device. For example, the flipping mechanism 72 is also a type of transfer mechanism, which is a transfer mechanism inside the feeding device 70. The machine base 10 is additionally equipped with a transfer device 40, which can move back and forth between devices to transfer materials from one device to another.

[0117] Compact automated laser engraving equipment

[0118] As can be seen from the description of the above embodiments, the compact, fully automatic flip-positioning laser engraving equipment can be integrated from a material conveying device 20, a feeding device 30, a transfer device 40, a positioning device 50, a laser engraving device 60, and a discharging device 70.

[0119] Based on the device's functions, it can be seen that the feeding device 30 and the unloading device 70 both require material conveying. To prevent mixing of materials to be laser-engraved and materials already laser-engraved, corresponding material conveying mechanisms need to be assigned to the feeding device 30 and the unloading device 70 respectively. This setup undoubtedly increases material conveying costs and the equipment's footprint. Therefore, it is necessary to further optimize the layout of these functional devices to make the already compact fully automatic flip-positioning laser engraving equipment even more compact and facilitate material conveying while preventing mixing.

[0120] In this embodiment, the present invention provides a compact, fully automatic flip-positioning laser engraving device, which includes the material conveying device 20, feeding device 30, transfer device 40, positioning device 50, laser engraving device 60, and unloading device 70 mentioned in some of the above embodiments. The layout of each functional device has been optimized, or the layout of each operating station of the cardboard box has been optimized. When describing the structure of each functional component in this compact, fully automatic flip-positioning laser engraving device, the relevant descriptions and drawings from the above embodiments can still be used.

[0121] Before introducing the compact, fully automated flip-positioning laser engraving equipment in this embodiment, we first define three coordinate axes: the first horizontal axis X, the second horizontal axis Y, and the vertical axis Z. Wherein: the first horizontal axis X and the second horizontal axis Y are two mutually perpendicular coordinate axes located on a horizontal plane, and the vertical axis Z is a coordinate axis located on a vertical plane; the X, Y, and Z axes are mutually perpendicular to each other. In the following text, we will use these three coordinate axes as a reference to describe the arrangement of the various stations on the laser engraving equipment.

[0122] Combination Figure 1 ,refer to Figure 2 As shown, the compact, fully automatic flip-positioning laser engraving equipment in this embodiment has the following components on its machine base 10: feeding station a, lifting station b, loading and flipping station c, loading station d, positioning station e, laser engraving station f, unloading station g, unloading and flipping station h, falling station i, and dust removal station j.

[0123] Feeding station a, lifting station b, lowering station i, and dust removal station j are arranged sequentially on a first axis parallel to the first horizontal axis X. Loading and tilting station c, loading station d, unloading station g, and unloading and tilting station h are arranged sequentially on a second axis parallel to the first horizontal axis X. The first and second axes are parallel to each other, and the horizontal height of the first axis is lower than that of the second axis.

[0124] The loading station d and the positioning station e are arranged sequentially on the third axis, which is parallel to the second horizontal axis Y. The positioning station e and the laser engraving station f are arranged sequentially on the fourth axis, which is parallel to the vertical axis Z.

[0125] It should be noted here that... Figure 1 The schematic diagram illustrating the changes in the position of materials within the equipment is merely a workstation layout diagram under one possible device arrangement. The arrangement sequence of the tilting and lifting mechanisms of the feeding device and the unloading device can be adjusted according to actual conditions. The arrangement sequence of the lifting and tilting mechanisms affects the rotation direction of the tilting arm when picking up materials and the installation position of the suction cups on the tilting arm. Without contradicting the principle illustrated in the schematic diagram of the changes in the position of materials within the equipment described in this invention, those skilled in the art can... Figure 1 Obtain a diagram showing the positional changes of other similar materials within the equipment.

[0126] The laser engraving equipment in this embodiment includes a material conveying device 20, a feeding device 30, a transfer device 40, a positioning device 50, a laser engraving device 60, and a unloading device 70.

[0127] Feeding station a, lifting station b, falling station i, and dust removal station j are arranged sequentially on the material conveying device 20. Loading and turning station c, loading station d, unloading station g, and unloading and turning station h are arranged sequentially above the material conveying device 20.

[0128] Using the laser engraving equipment provided in the embodiments of the present invention to... Figure 1 The reverse side of the shown mobile phone back cover 80 is laser-engraved. The process of the mobile phone back cover 80 from feeding to laser engraving and the material status on the laser engraving equipment can be described as follows:

[0129] See Figure 1 Place the back cover 80 of the mobile phone with the reverse side A facing up in the material collection tray 23, and then place the material collection tray 23 on the conveyor belt 21 of the material conveying device 20. The material collection tray 23 is conveyed from the feeding station a on the conveyor belt 21 to the lifting station b. The lifting station b has a sensor. When it detects that the material collection tray 23 has been conveyed to the lifting station b, the lifting mechanism 31 at the lifting station b lifts the material collection tray 23 on the lifting station b upward to the loading and flipping station c.

[0130] The flipping arm 324 of the flipping mechanism 32, located between the loading flipping station c and the loading station d, rotates from its initial position to the loading flipping station c, causing the suction cup 325 on the flipping arm 324 to pick up the phone back cover 80 from the loading flipping station c. Figure 1 As can be seen, the orientation of the front and back of the phone back cover 80 is changed by the flipping mechanism 32. The back A of the phone back cover 80 at the loading flipping station c faces upward, while the front B of the back of the phone at the loading station d faces upward.

[0131] The transfer device 40 uses the flexible suction cup 325 assembly to pick up the phone back cover 80 at the loading station d and place it on the positioning panel 511 of the positioning device 50 for precise positioning. The positioning panel 511 forms the positioning station e. After positioning, the transfer device 40 picks up the phone back cover 80 from the positioning station e, and the transfer device 40, through its first connecting arm 42, second connecting arm 43, and third connecting arm 44, as well as the freedom of the suction assembly 45 itself, flips the suction phone back cover 80, so that the reverse side A of the phone back cover 80 is flipped to... Facing the laser source of the laser engraving device 60, the adsorption component 45 of the transfer device 40 adsorbs the back cover 80 of the mobile phone and places it in the laser engraving station f of the laser engraving device 60. At this time, the adsorption component 45 actually forms the laser engraving station f. After the laser engraving device 60 finishes laser engraving the reverse side A of the back cover 80, the adsorption component 45 of the transfer device 40 adsorbs the back cover 80 of the mobile phone and moves again, so that the adsorption component 45 of the transfer device 40 flips and moves the back cover 80 of the mobile phone while the front side B of the mobile phone back cover 80 is placed on the unloading station g of the unloading device 70.

[0132] The flipping arm 724 of the flipping mechanism 72 of the unloading device 70, located between the unloading station g and the unloading flipping station h, rotates from its initial position to the unloading flipping station h. A material collection tray 23 is placed on the unloading flipping station h. The flipping arm 724 places the mobile phone case on the unloading station h into the material collection tray 23. The lifting mechanism 71 of the unloading device 70 descends, returning the material collection tray 23 carrying the laser-engraved mobile phone back cover 80 to the return station i. At this time, the material collection tray 23 carrying the laser-engraved mobile phone back cover 80 moves with the conveyor belt 21 of the material conveying device 20 to the dust removal station j for dust removal. After dust removal, it is packaged.

[0133] It should be noted that the material conveying device 20, loading device 30, transfer device 40, positioning device 50, laser engraving device 60, and unloading device 70 in the laser engraving equipment of this embodiment adopt the structures of the aforementioned embodiments. Since the specific structure and working process of these devices have been described in detail above, they will not be repeated here.

[0134] Please continue to refer to this. Figure 1 As shown, in order to achieve automatic material feeding and further improve equipment efficiency, preferably, the machine base 10 can also have a material storage mechanism located in front of the feeding station a.

[0135] Finally, it should be noted that the various components of the compact, fully automatic flip-positioning laser engraving equipment described above in the above embodiments of the present invention are described from different perspectives. Some embodiments focus on describing one component, while other embodiments focus on describing another component. Without contradiction, a detailed description of a component in one embodiment can also be used to understand the same component in another embodiment.

[0136] Fully automated laser engraving equipment production line

[0137] Based on the above-mentioned compact fully automatic flip-positioning laser engraving equipment, this embodiment provides an automated laser engraving equipment production line with multiple interconnected units. The production line can consist of several laser engraving machines, and the multiple laser engraving machines can basically achieve synchronized operation under the control of the control system.

[0138] The following is a brief description of the operating principle of a system containing seven laser engraving devices:

[0139] See Figure 12 The production line shown in the figure includes 7 laser engraving machines. The production line has a material conveying device for feeding materials. The material conveying device is arranged in a straight line on one side of the 7 laser engraving machines. The 7 laser engraving machines are arranged in a row on the same side of the material conveying device. One end of the material conveying device is used for feeding materials, and the other end is equipped with a dust removal device to remove dust from the materials after laser engraving.

[0140] In the initial state, 7 laser engraving devices are on standby and are loaded onto the conveyor belt of the material conveying device first. The spacing between each material is the same. When the first material placed on the conveyor belt reaches the lifting station of the 7th laser engraving device (the 7 devices are named in sequence along the material conveying direction of the material conveying device, Figure 12 the arrow P in represents the material conveying direction. These 7 laser engraving devices are: the 1st laser engraving device, the 2nd laser engraving device, the 3rd laser engraving device, the 4th laser engraving device, the 5th laser engraving device, the 6th laser engraving device, and the 7th laser engraving device. Among them, the 7th laser engraving device is close to the dust removal device 90. The machine platform under the 6th laser engraving device is not shown, but it can be understood that the machine platforms under these 7 laser engraving devices are actually the same), when it reaches the lifting station of the 7th laser engraving device, it means that there are also materials on the lifting stations of the previous 1st - 6th laser engraving devices. At this time, the 7 laser engraving devices start simultaneously, which means that the action beats of the 7 laser engraving devices are consistent and they will surely complete the actions together;

[0141] When the 7 laser engraving devices start to act simultaneously, the 7 lifting stations lift the materials on them away from the conveyor belt. At this time, there is no material on the conveyor belt. Then, during the working time of this section of the laser engraving devices, materials can continue to be conveyed on the conveyor belt until there is again a material on the lifting station of the 7th laser engraving device (it is supplemented here that after the material on the lifting station is picked up by the flipping mechanism, the lifting mechanism resets, and the lifting station is again flush with or slightly lower than the conveyor belt. Therefore, the 7 laser engraving devices work synchronously, and the 7 lifting stations reset synchronously. After resetting, continue to load materials on the conveyor belt, and there is again material on the 7 lifting stations), and the lifting mechanism rises again to lift the material on the lifting station away from the conveyor belt;

[0142] When the 7 laser engraving devices complete their work, the 7 discharging stations simultaneously receive the discharging from the transfer device. Through the flipping and falling actions of the discharging device, the 7 materials that have completed laser engraving are successively sent to the dust removal station for dust removal.

[0143] In order to save working hours, when the transfer device completes the discharging of the discharging device, the loading device has completed loading, so that the materials on the loading station can be directly picked up by the transfer device. Therefore, the description of the action principle of the 7 devices in the above production line forms an action cycle from the first loading to the completion of the second loading. This production line can continue to act and cycle according to this cycle. Therefore, during the action, regardless of the machine equipment on this production line, this action cycle can be realized, so as to ensure that the actions of multiple laser engraving devices are basically synchronous and achieve multi - device linkage.

[0144] Figure 12 Only one production line structure of multi - device - linked laser engraving devices is shown in. In one embodiment, the material conveying device can also be arranged in a curved shape, such as an S - shaped arrangement. This arrangement method can densely arrange the production line equipment to save space.

[0145] In one embodiment, the present invention also provides a method for coordinating multiple laser engraving equipment production lines, which may include the following steps:

[0146] Several material storage trays 23 carrying materials are placed sequentially at equal intervals on the conveyor belt 21 of the material conveying device 20, so that there is material at the lifting station corresponding to each laser engraving device. Multiple laser engraving devices are started simultaneously under the control of the control device, and the material to be laser engraved is placed in the material storage tray 23 with the laser engraving surface facing up.

[0147] The feeding devices of multiple laser engraving machines feed the materials from their respective lifting stations to the feeding stations, so that each feeding station has material. The transfer device of each laser engraving machine picks up the material from its corresponding feeding station, and the empty lifting station is reset by the lifting mechanism of the feeding device.

[0148] The transfer device of each laser engraving machine transfers the picked-up materials to the laser engraving machine for laser engraving;

[0149] After the multiple empty lifting stations are reset, several material storage trays 23 carrying materials are placed sequentially at equal intervals on the conveyor belt 21 of the material conveying device 20, so that the lifting station corresponding to each laser engraving equipment is filled with material again. The feeding device feeds the material from the lifting station to the feeding station. The transfer device that has finished unloading picks up the material from the feeding station again.

[0150] The laser-engraved material is unloaded by the transfer device to the unloading station of the unloading device. The unloading device then transports the material at the unloading station to the conveyor belt, which in turn transports the laser-engraved material to the next processing station.

[0151] The aforementioned multi-unit laser engraving production line may include several laser engraving machines, and the operation process of one of the laser engraving machines can be specifically described as follows:

[0152] The feeding device 30 lifts and picks up materials from the conveyor belt 21 via the lifting mechanism 31, and adsorbs materials from the lifting mechanism 31 via the suction cup of the flipping mechanism 32. After the materials are adsorbed, the flipping mechanism 32 flips and resets, so that the material to be laser-engraved is placed on the suction cup with the surface to be laser-engraved facing down.

[0153] The transfer device 40 picks up the material from the suction cup of the flipping mechanism 32 and places the material on the positioning device 50 for positioning. After positioning, the transfer device 40 picks up the material from the positioning device 50 and transfers the material to the laser engraving station of the laser engraving device 60, so that the surface of the material to be laser engraved faces the laser light source 61 of the laser engraving device 60, and the laser engraving device 60 completes the laser engraving of the material.

[0154] The transfer device 40 transfers the laser-engraved material to the suction cup of the flipping mechanism 72 of the unloading device 70. The laser-engraved surface of the material is placed face down on the suction cup. The flipping mechanism 72 of the unloading device 70 drives the material to flip towards the lifting mechanism 71 of the unloading device 70, so that the suction cup releases the material into the material collection tray 23 at the lifting position of the lifting mechanism 71. The laser-engraved surface of the material is placed face up in the material collection tray 23. The lifting mechanism 71 descends and resets, so that the material collection tray 23 carrying the laser-engraved material is placed on the conveyor belt 21. The material collection tray 23 carrying the laser-engraved material is transported by the conveyor belt 21 to the subsequent dust removal station.

[0155] This invention has been described in sufficiently detail and with certain specificities. Those skilled in the art should understand that the descriptions in the embodiments are merely exemplary, and all changes made without departing from the true spirit and scope of this invention should fall within the scope of protection of this invention. The scope of protection claimed by this invention is defined by the claims, and not by the above descriptions in the embodiments.

Claims

1. A compact automated laser engraving device, characterized in that, It includes: The machine platform includes a feeding station, a lifting station, a loading and tilting station, a loading station, a positioning station, a unloading station, an unloading and tilting station, and a falling station. The feeding station, lifting station, and falling station are arranged sequentially on a first axis parallel to a first horizontal axis. The loading and tilting station, loading station, unloading station, and unloading and tilting station are arranged on a second axis parallel to the first horizontal axis. The loading and tilting station is located directly above the lifting station and adjacent to the loading station. The unloading and tilting station is located directly above the falling station and adjacent to the unloading station. The loading station and the positioning station are arranged sequentially on a third axis parallel to the second horizontal axis, where the first horizontal axis and the second horizontal axis are perpendicular to each other. A feeding device is installed at the lifting station and the feeding station, the feeding device being configured to feed material from the feeding station to the feeding station; The positioning device installed at the positioning station is configured to position the material. The laser engraving device installed on the machine base is configured to laser engrave materials, and the laser engraving device has a laser engraving station. The transfer device installed on the machine is configured to pick up materials from the loading station, place the picked-up materials at the positioning station, transfer the positioned materials to the laser engraving device for laser engraving, and then transfer the laser-engraved materials to the unloading station. A feeding device is installed at the drop-off station and the unloading station, the feeding device being configured to unload the laser-engraved material from the unloading station to the drop-off station; and The material conveying device is installed on the machine platform, and the feeding station, lifting station and falling station are arranged on the material conveying device.

2. The compact automated laser engraving equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material conveying device (20) includes a conveyor belt (21) and a drive motor (22) for driving the conveyor belt (21) to move. The conveyor belt (21) is configured to convey materials. The loading device (30) picks up materials from the conveyor belt (21). The unloading device (70) conveys the materials transferred to it to the downstream station through the conveyor belt (21). The downstream station includes a dust removal station, and a dust removal device is provided at the dust removal station. The material conveying device (20) also includes a material receiving tray (23), which is placed on the feeding station of the conveyor belt (21). The material receiving tray (23) is configured to receive materials. The material receiving tray (23) containing materials moves along with the conveyor belt (21) on the conveyor belt (21). The material receiving tray (23) moves from the feeding station to the lifting station under the drive of the conveyor belt. The feeding station, lifting station, and falling station are arranged sequentially on the conveyor belt along the material conveying direction of the material conveying device.

3. The compact automated laser engraving equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that, The feeding device (30) includes two lifting mechanisms (31) arranged opposite to each other, and a tilting mechanism (32) arranged adjacent to the lifting mechanisms (31); Two lifting mechanisms (31) are arranged opposite each other on both sides of the conveyor belt (21). Each lifting mechanism (31) includes a lifting block (311) and a lifting drive assembly (312). The lifting drive assembly (312) drives the lifting block (311) to move up and down reciprocally. The lifting block (311) is close to the side edge of the conveyor belt (21). The two lifting blocks (311) arranged opposite each other form the lifting station of the material receiving tray (23). At a certain moment, the height of the lifting block (311) is basically level with or lower than the upper surface of the conveyor belt (21). After the material storage tray (23) carrying the material is conveyed to the lifting station, the lifting drive assembly (312) drives the lifting block (311) to move upward, so that the material storage tray (23) is lifted off the conveyor belt (21) and the material to be laser-engraved is placed in the material storage tray (23) with the laser-engraved surface facing upward. The flipping mechanism (32) includes a fixed frame (321) and a flipping component (322) connected to the fixed frame (321). The flipping component (322) is provided with one or more suction cups. The flipping component (322) is configured to rotate along the fixed frame (321) so that the suction cups on it pick up the material on the material receiving tray (23) from the lifting station. After the material is picked up, the flipping component (322) rotates and resets so that the material to be laser-engraved is placed on the suction cup with the laser-engraved surface facing down.

4. The compact automated laser engraving equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The flipping assembly (322) includes a flipping shaft (323) connected to the fixed frame (321) and a flipping arm (324) connected to the flipping shaft (323), wherein the flipping arm (324) is provided with the suction cup; at a certain time, the flipping arm (324) is horizontally positioned on one side of the flipping shaft (323), and the material receiving tray (23) is positioned on the other side of the flipping tray, with the suction cup on the flipping arm (324) facing away from the conveyor belt (21) to form a loading station; when the material receiving tray (23) is lifted from the lifting station to After the material is loaded and flipped, the flipping arm (324) rotates along the central axis of the flipping shaft (323), causing the suction cup to rotate toward the conveyor belt (21), so that the suction cup picks up the material from the material loading and flipping station; after the material is picked up, the flipping arm (324) rotates and resets to the material loading station along the central axis of the flipping shaft (323), and the unloaded material receiving tray (23) is lowered and reset to the lifting station along with the lifting block (311), and the laser-engraved surface of the material at the material loading station faces the conveyor belt (21); The central axis of the flipping shaft (323) is perpendicular to the central axis of the conveyor belt (21).

5. The compact automated laser engraving equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transfer device (40) includes a base (41), a first connecting arm (42), a second connecting arm (43), a third connecting arm (44), and an adsorption assembly (45). The base (41) is fixedly connected to the machine base (10). One end of the first connecting arm (42) is movably connected to the base (41), and the other end is movably connected to the second connecting arm (43). One end of the third connecting arm (44) is movably connected to the second connecting arm (43), and the other end is movably connected to the adsorption assembly (45).

6. The compact automated laser engraving equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first connecting arm (42) can rotate horizontally relative to the base (41), the second connecting arm (43) rotates vertically relative to the first connecting arm (42), the third connecting arm (44) rotates vertically relative to the second connecting arm (43), the adsorption component (45) rotates vertically relative to the third connecting arm (44), and the adsorption component (45) can rotate along its connection with the third connecting arm (44); The adsorption assembly (45) includes a claw plate (451) and one or more suction cups disposed on the claw plate (451). The transfer device (40) adsorbs material from the feeding device (30) through the suction cups and places the adsorbed material on the positioning device (50). The base is set on the machine platform and is positioned opposite to the material conveying device. The adsorption component picks up the material from the loading station and places it on the positioning station for positioning. After positioning, the adsorption component picks up the material from the positioning station and places it on the laser engraving station of the laser engraving device for laser engraving. The laser-engraved material is then placed on the unloading station.

7. The compact automated laser engraving equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The positioning device (50) includes a positioning clamp (51), which includes a positioning panel (511), a positioning component (512) mounted on the edge of the positioning panel (511), and a positioning suction component (513). The positioning panel (511) is mounted on the machine base (10) by a bracket. The positioning panel (511) has a through hole (5111) in the center. The positioning suction component (513) is installed in the through hole (5111) by a connecting plate (5131). The positioning panel (511) is a rectangular panel with two long sides and two short sides arranged opposite to each other. A groove is provided on one long side and one short side, which is recessed inward from the edge of the rectangular panel. A positioning block (5121) is embedded in the groove. A locking member (5122) is provided on the outer edge of the other short side. Several support protrusions (5123) are provided on the positioning panel (511) near the other long side. The transfer device (40) places the adsorbed material on the positioning panel (511). The positioning block, the locking member (5122) and the supporting protrusion (5123) together position the material. The positioning adsorption member (513) adsorbs and fixes the material. The laser-engraved surface of the material faces the positioning adsorption member (513). When the transfer device (40) picks up the material that has been positioned from the positioning fixture (51), the positioning adsorption member (513) releases the adsorbed material.

8. The compact automated laser engraving equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The laser engraving device (60) has a laser light source (61). The laser light source (61) emits a beam that shines directly on the laser engraving station. The transfer device (40) transfers the material that has been positioned to the laser engraving station and places the surface of the material to be laser engraved facing the laser light source (61). After the laser engraving device (60) completes the laser engraving of the material, the transfer device (40) transfers the laser engraved material to the unloading device (70). The transfer device (40) places the laser-engraved surface of the material face down on the unloading station of the unloading device (70).

9. The compact automated laser engraving equipment according to claim 4, characterized in that, The unloading device (70) is arranged adjacent to the loading device (30). The unloading device (70) and the loading device (30) have the same structure. The suction cup on the flipping mechanism (72) of the unloading device (70) forms the unloading station. The transfer device (40) transfers the laser-engraved material to the unloading station. The flipping mechanism (72) of the unloading device (70) rotates toward the material receiving tray (23) on the lifting mechanism of the unloading device (70). The material receiving tray (23) is located at the unloading flipping station. The laser-engraved material is released by the suction cup (725) on the unloading device (70) and placed in the material receiving tray (23). The laser-engraved surface of the material is placed in the material receiving tray (23) with the surface facing up. The material receiving tray (23) carrying the laser-engraved material is lowered to the return station by the lifting mechanism (71) of the unloading device (70). The return station is located on the conveyor belt (21). The conveyor belt transports the material receiving tray (23) carrying the laser-engraved material to the subsequent dust removal station.

10. A laser engraving method for a compact, automated laser engraving device, characterized in that, It includes: Several material storage trays (23) carrying materials are placed sequentially on the conveyor belt (21) of the material conveying device (20). The material to be laser-engraved is placed in the material storage tray (23) with the laser-engraved surface facing up. The material storage tray (23) moves from the feeding station on the conveyor belt to the lifting station of the loading device. The feeding device (30) lifts the material receiving tray (23) on the lifting station to the feeding flipping station through the lifting mechanism (31), and the material is adsorbed from the feeding flipping station by the suction cup of the flipping mechanism (32). After the material is adsorbed, the flipping mechanism (32) flips back to the feeding station, so that the laser-engraved surface of the material is placed on the feeding station with the laser-engraved surface facing down. The transfer device (40) picks up the material from the loading station and places the material at the positioning station. After positioning, the transfer device (40) picks up the material from the positioning station and transfers the material to the laser engraving station of the laser engraving device (60), so that the surface of the material to be laser engraved faces the laser light source (61) of the laser engraving device (60), and the laser engraving device (60) completes the laser engraving of the material. The transfer device (40) transfers the laser-engraved material to the unloading station of the flipping mechanism (72) of the unloading device (70). The laser-engraved surface of the material is placed face down on the unloading station. The flipping mechanism (72) of the unloading device (70) drives the material to flip towards the lifting mechanism (71) of the unloading device (70), so that the suction cup of the flipping mechanism releases the material into the material receiving tray (23) on the unloading flipping station of the lifting mechanism (71). The laser-engraved surface of the material is placed face up on the material receiving tray (23). The lifting mechanism (71) descends and resets, so that the material receiving tray (23) carrying the laser-engraved material is placed on the return station. The return station is located on the conveyor belt (21). The material receiving tray (23) carrying the laser-engraved material is transported by the conveyor belt (21) to the subsequent dust removal station.

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